1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to alternative strategies to counteract the limitations of human-computer interaction in a medical environment, and includes eye tracking and thought recognition technologies, which provide for faster and more intuitive human-computer input.
2. Description of the Related Art
In current medical practice, human-computer interaction represents the convergence of two powerful information processors, the human brain and the electronic microprocessor; each of which has its own unique attributes and limitations. The human brain is capable of abstract thought, yet is prone to inconsistency and can be adversely affected by emotional and environmental factors. The computer brain, on the other hand, is highly consistent, indefatigable, and immune to emotional/environmental change. The problem however lies in its limited ability to process data extemporaneously, and in abstract ways. As a result, the current human-computer interaction is largely unidirectional in nature, with the human providing guidance and direction to the computer in navigating the task at hand.
In a medical practice, human-computer interaction can take a number of forms from searching and analyzing clinical data contained within the patient electronic medical record (EMR), interpretation and reporting of three-dimensional medical imaging data within the picture archival and communication system (PACS), or guidance in the performance of a technical procedure (e.g., endoscopic surgery, computerized tomography (CT) acquisition).
As computer intelligence has evolved, new computerized educational tools have been created to assist the medical practitioner with the task at hand. These computerized artificial intelligence and decision-support tools are diverse in nature and can take the form of neural networks, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) software, and automated data mining of medical data repositories.
The primary challenge to date is to improve and facilitate the intrinsic attributes of these two divergent information processors. In the current practice environment, however, this convergence is limited by the narrow bandwidth and highly constrained interface; which typically consists of manual (in the form of an electronic mouse, keyboard, or touch screen), or verbal (speech commands) input. If the ultimate goal is to create an intuitive, rapid, and reliable bidirectional information exchange, then new strategies must be developed which address existing bandwidth deficiencies on the part of human input (speed), and improve thought and understanding between the two information processors (intuition).